Process for preserving lacteal fluids



` S. J. DAVIS..

PROCESS FOR PR-ESERVING LACTEAL FLUIDS.

- APPLICATION FILED ocT. 26. 1922.

1,486,947. l y 'Patented N0v.28,1922.

y IWI UI SCOTT J. DAVIS, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR TO E. F. COMEZYS, 0F

OKLOMA, OKLAHOMA.

PROCESS FOE-1PRESERVING LACTEAL FLUIDS.

Application ilevd October 26, 1922. Serial No. 597,042.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Soofrr J. DAVIS, a citizen .of the United' States, residin at Uklahoma, in the county of Oklahoma, tate of Oklahoma, haveinvented certain rnew and useful Improvements' in Processes for Preserving Lacteal Fluids, of which the foL lowing is a description, reference being hadv4 to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to the preservation of lacteal iiuid, and more particularly to a process by which Ordinar raw cows or goats milk may be kept in efinitely without adding anything to, or takingv anything away from, or in any Way changing the food value or chemical properties of the milk.

' I am aware that there are a number of processes patented by which it is claimed milk can be kept indefinitely, but to my knowledge none have been ableto do so, without adding a preservative of some kind,

. or adding other substances such as milk sugar, lime Water, bicarbonate of soda, water, butter-fat, casein or cane sugar in order tov make the milk marketable and keep; or without injuring the iavor,taste, odor1 color and chemical properties of the milk. Up to the present time no process has been invented that has been able to absolutely guarantee that the milk product will keep indefinitely and still have a marketable milk product. The difficulties all other processes have had are these First, after the milk-has been allowed to stand in the container a weekfor two, the butter-fat separates out, comes to the top and formsin h hard balls of churned butter-fat which lmakes the milk objectionable and unmarketable. Second, when the milk 'is heated, thecasein separates out of the milk and has the \appearan,ce of sour, curdled-v milk. Third, the milk..when sterilized is subjected to such temperature and conditions.. that Athe milk sugar of the milk caramelizes and turns brown, making the milk objectionable and unmarketable. Fourth, the milk when sterilized is subjected to such temperatures and conditions that the iiavor of the milk is injured and it takes on a burned or bitter taste or flavor which makes the milk objectionable for human consumption and unmarketable. Fifth, 1 believe the principal objection to other processes and inventions is that they all must addA foreign substances to the milk, such as lime water, bicarbonate of soda, milk sugar, water, butter-fat, casein orcane sugar to make the milk keep and as 1t is strictly against and in violation of all State and edera] laws to add any substance to milk for. human consumption, all these processes are of no value and not commercially possible, practical or marketable.- @ne of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a process whichwill absolutely guarantee that the milk product so processed Will keep indefinitely, Without addlng anything .to or taking anything from and will be thoroughly practical and commercially successful and marketable.

Another object of the present invention resides in a process wherein the milk is given a definite heat treatment, preparatory to the homogenizing operation, to attain a .complete land permanent comminution of thev butter-fat globules followed by a sterilizingg` treatment to thereby most efficiently and permanently preserve the milk.

StilLa further object of this invention resides in subjecting the raw milk to successive treatments, in which each individual treatment has substantially well defined limits all as hereinafter set forth.

These and other objects will appear manifest from a perusal of the following speciiicatio'n, and also from the drawings, wheren Figure 1 is an elevation of a preferred form of homogenizer used in the process; Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof taken at right angles thereto, and

Fig. 3 is a plan View of one of the homogenizing disks. e o

.Accordin to my process, the .milk as it is received is tested with care. It must be good, pure milk of good quality and must contain not more than .18 of one per cent of acid. The milk is then freed of any foreign matter orimpurities by a process of filtration which is carried out force.

The milk is then run into any container or receptacle and quickly heated to approximately 180 F. to 185 F. which maximum temperature is maintained for substantially one minute only. This complete heating by centrifugal period including the one minute maximum/ heat should not 4exftend vover' substantially' thirty minutes. 'Tlere are four reasons for this initial heating step. First, to drive out lll fall foul odors and gases' the milk may `contail. Second, to thoroughly mix all the elements ofthe milk, such as the butter-fat, throughout the serum. .Third, to so. thoroughly heat the butter-fat, albumen,

casein and milk sugar in the milk so they will not lchange .in chemical qualities or sep-V arate out'in the process of sterilizing due to the `high heat employed in` the sterilizer. Fourth, to so thoroughly break up all the clusters of butter-:fatv globules and destroy the cream line of the milk so-that thehomogenizer has a good and fair chance to break` up each individual butter-fat globule and thereby prevent the butter-fat from aftervWard separating 'lout and Icausing large lumps of butter-fat to collect on the top of the milk wh-ichwouldrender itvobjection'able and unmarketable. -A

' After heating the milk for approximately ized at va pressure of substantially three thousand to three thousand, five hundred pounds per square inch. I am aware that homogenization of milk is an old proce and widely used, but heretofore, no inventor has clearly or specifically stated at what temperature or at what pressure the milk y should passthrough the homogeniz'er, hence- .there has been a great deal of trouble with the product due to the fact that unless the correct temperature and pressure is u'sed, the resulting productk will not be ellic1 ently homogenlzedand the butter-fat will separate out, causing hard 4lumps' on the surface ofthe milk',*rende`ri'ng itobjectionmarketable..

able and -not successful commercially or stantially three thousand to three thousand,

- ve hundred pounds per square inch on the milk 'as it passes through thehomogenizer, I get a. complete and eicient breaking down of the butter-fat globulesso that the butterfat will never separate out no matter how longl the. milk may stand in its container. Thls mode'of homogeniza'tion also renders the mllk' passing `through itat least fifty per centA more digestible and assimilable, par- -ticulardy for infants or invalids. A

" I`Wh1le homogenization may be carried out at Athe above `mentioned temperature 'and pressure,with any 'suitable commercialfhomogenizer, the best results are secured, and I prefer to usethe homogenizing valve disclosed and' claimed in the application of D. 'F. Hormann, vSerial No. 566,430, lled June 6, 1922,- the structure of which is disclosed in the drawings. This improved typeA i.;mmofvalle-lis particularly eifective inthat it assures tleracticall-ys complete and uniform dissemination and disintegration ofthe I Using a temperature of sub-l stantlally 150 and a pressure of subfat globules and other constituents of the milk, irrespective of the quantity of milk yiding a valve easily disassembled or cleanmg purposes if desired. The lower section is provided with a liquid entrance 5 which extends transversely-through one side there# of and terminates in a. substantially vertical bore 6, the upper faceofwhich is somewhat enlarged to receive a threaded plug 7 having a central milk passage 8 which consti-.

tutes-a continuation Uofthe passage 6. The upper face of-thisthreaded plug 7 is suitably ground to provide a valve seat 9. The upper portion 2 of the valve casing is provided with an enlarged chamber 104 which surrounds the uppermost portion of the plug 7 andvalve seat 9'. This chamber 10 iso relatively large dimensions toaccommoda-tethe'stack or column of honiqgenizing disks `which are superimposed upon the valve seat 9. At one side, the chamber 10 einer es into a milk discharging outlet 11 whlch passes through the lower side of the portion 2 of the casing.

The homogenizing disks are preferably arranged as annuli, the central openings of which register and are concentric with the milk passage 8 of the threaded plug 7. These annuli are preferably beveled on their inner facesas is customary in the art to provide an. easy ingress of the milk between the ground ilat surfaces'of the annuli. Preferably the inner wall of each of these annuli of disks are beveled toward the flat face as at 12 and 13. On the upper circumference or periphery, each Vannuli is provided with a series'of` radial lugs 14 preferably sixty degrees apart. `These lugs constitute spacing members fora perforated centering sleeveV 15 which is clamped*l between theshoulder 16yon the upper face of the plug 7 and a shoulder 17 on theinner upper wall of the chamber 10@4 The inner wall -of this centering sleeve fits exactly the outer peripheral faces of the lugs 14 so that when the .disks arein position, the centering sleeve/'maintains themA concentrically about the/central -milkpassage .8. VAs shown,"this/s1eeve is suitablyperforated to permit the/passage of .the milk discharging therethrough. In addition, these perforations mere 'thoroughly break up. and emulsify the nilk'as it discharges therethrough. e u

The homogenizing disk are clamped together and to the'seat 9by means of a valve stem 18. This valve v,stem hreads through an upper elongated'fsfleev 1 9 which is a part of the upper/portion 2 of the valve casing. The lower portion of this valve stem 18 is provided with a rounded ball-'like surface 20 which titswithin a concavity in the top f the upper valve disk 21 which is preferably much thicker than the other valve disk and of course, has no opening therethrough, the same being slightly recessed as at 22t0 permit a'suficient passage of milk to the joint between these disks and the lower adjacent valve disk. This ball joint between the stem 18 and the upper disk gives an automatic adjustment of the valve disk vso that there can be no irregular openings between the disks, even if the same arey not 15 as thick on one side as they are on the other,

provided that the faces-of the disks are true and straight. So also, this universal or ball joint allows for anyinaccuracy in the valve such as the center line of the valve stem or the threaded plug 7 not being exactly in line 'or parallel with the center line of the valve, or for instance, if the face of the threaded plugv 7 is not exactly at right angles with the center line of the valve stem, which may be caused by inaccurate machining ot' the diiierent parts of the valve, Obviously, this ball ljoint may be formed by inserting a round ball between the cup-shaped faces 'formed in the lower end of the valve stem 1,8 and the upper face of the top disk.

Means is rovided for causing the liquid or milk to ow between all of the homogenizing disks. The preferred form of this means comprises the distributing or pressure pin 23 detachably carried as by means of a threaded connection 24 to a threaded plug 25 screwing into. an extension of the liquid channel 6. Thisplug 25 not only closes the end oil the bore 6, but also constitutes a means for adjusting the pressure pin relatively to the homogenizing disks. This pressure pin as illustrated extends lon itudinally and centrally of the milk channe 6 and its inner end is provided with an enlarged tapered portion 26, the taper flaring gradually outward toward the upper end of the pin to a substantial shoulder 27, at which point the vpin is of uniform diameter to the very end. The taper of this pin is so proportioned as to permit only such volume of milk o r other liquid to How between it and the inner dprojections of the annuli as can be accommo ated byr and eiiiciently homogenized between any two adjacent disks. If this pressure pin were not present, all of the milk homogenize. Now', it more liquid or milk is pumped through the inlet 5 of the valve than' this upper joint will perfectly homogenize, the pressure will be greater on the joint immediately below this, that is, fthe joint between the second and third disks, counting from the top downwardly, than on the upper joint before described, thus causing an increase of the gauge pressure of the pump. Then, if the valve stem 18 is adjusted, that 75 is, slightlyopened to give the proper working pressure, the second joint of the valve will open owing to the fact that all the milk or liquid pumped cannot pass the upper end of the pressure pin and since the pressure and quantity of milk or liquid tobe homogenized is increased, and the valve stem has been properly opened to'give the corresponding correct working pressure, this second joint will eiiiciently homogenize the vexcess amount of fluid which cannot get through the uppermost joint but will flow through the next to the uppermost joint. Thus, by suitably adjusting the valve stem in accordance with the pump pressure and amount of 90 fluid passing through the valve, each disk will open in turn until the full capacity of the valve is reached. From this it is evident that the valve can be operated at variable capacty'and that the milk passing through 95 the inlet passage 6 and coming in contact -with the inside of the disks and the tapered portion of the pressure pin 23, is evenly distributed in a uniform manner to all of the disked openings.

lt must be manifest that the above described device provides a valve which not only is capable of working at a variable capacity, but whenever so working it homogenizes the whole percentage of the milk passing therethrough. The valve as constructed and arranged also thoroughly 1nsures the correct seating of the disksand their correct alinement' with respect to the valve .stem and pressure pin, .the first, by/ means of the perforated sleeve 15, and the second, by means of the ball joint 19. It will also be evident that in the presentv valve, the upper portion 19 which may be called the bonnet or collecting dome, may be rreadily removed to facilitate the cleaning of the apparatus and for 'removing the homogenizing elements including the lower threaded plug' or seat 7 as for instance, when it is necessary to remove'these elements yto regi-ind the same 12o oir for regrinding the seat. It is further manifest that the pressure pin is entirely independent of the homogenizing disks or annuli, Vand therefore, these elements can be disassembled without any danger of sticking. 12%

The next step in my process -is to immediately cool the milk tofty degrees (50) l.A as it comes from the homogeniz'er after which it is placed in clean bottles and sealed airtight with a crown seal, or placed in tin The airtight sealed bottles, cans, or other -containers*` are now placed A in a where theV milk sterilized by steam pres;

sure. The sterilizer is'constructed and arranged so that the containers of milk are revolved around and oscillated from side to side at the same time;thereby heating each individual container uniformly and eiliciently, one containerV receiving. exactly the:v

same amount of'heat as another. When the sterilizer .is filled'with as many containers as rapidly as possible; said operation-should Ater rais- Y as it is wished to sterilize, the mechanism is set in-motion, the'door closed and sealed and the steam turned on. The temperature within the sterilizer is raised as rapidlyr as possible 'to a temperature of substantially comprlses slmultaneously agitatmg andV V230"v F. and held there forsubstantially ten minutes, during the summer months, andv raised to substantially 230 F. and held forV substantially live Vminutes during the winter months. The temperature should be raised not take over twenty minutes. ing it to the temperature and held for the time stated above, the temperature is re` duced` as rapidly as possible Yto at least F. or F. which completes the process and the -milk productis readyf' formarket and is a sterileguniform, practical andmarketable product, which has no objectionable odor, taste, or flavor, is not burned, cooked or overheated, has no .brown or dark color,

has no separationof its'elementsand'w-ill keep indefinitely until the seals of the containers are opened and is a product which by two years -ofi thorough trial'in a commercial plant has'been found to be'successful commercially and practical Yin every way.` It is a milk product which `will keep indeIinitely, to which nothing has been fadded' or nothing taken awayv from, and `wi]l, therefore,comply with all State and Federal laws and'regulations as regards a pure cows or goats milk intended forhuman consumption. No milk product heretofore invented or patented will meet these i requirements.

i vention is subject to some degree of lati-A The present application is a continuation" in part of an application iiled by me February :11, l1922,`Seria lllo. 535,964.l Y Itis distinctly understood that this inture.

limitations are within the scopeof the appended claims as interpreted by the prior Y n art.

Having thus describedl .the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by 1. The process of preserving milk which comprises rapidly raising the temperature of the milk to approximately 182 F.,main taining this temperature for substantially one minute, and simultaneously 185 F., homogenizing at substantially'lOD F., and at a pressure ranging from substantially three thousand to three thousand, five hundred -pounds and sterilizing.

3. The process of preserving milk which agita-ting .the milk during theheating perlod, homogenizing and ste comprises Ysimultaneously agitating and Y .'vhating it to substantially 180'F. to 185 F.,

immediately cooling it to substantially 150 F., and homogenizing at such temperature andfat a pressure substantially threev thou;

sand to three thousand, five hundred pounds.-

sealin in containers and sterilizing.

4.- he process of preserving milk which comprises simultaneously itating and 185'F., homogenizing at substantially 150 vvF.,v and-at a pressure ranging from `three heating the milk to substantially 180"v to 5. The prooe of preserving milk which comprises simultaneously agitatingand heating the-milk to substantially`180 to 185 F., homogenizing at substantially 150 F. and at 'a pressure Vranging substantially from three thousand to three thousand,` f1ve hundred pounds, cooling to substantially 50 F., and-rapidly raising the temperature to substantially 2307 F.,'maintaining it at such temperature for substantiallyve to ten minutes to sterilize.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signasoo'rr DAVIS. 

